Minimum Volatility Indexes
Our Minimum Volatility Indexes are built to support investors seeking transparent benchmarks to inform risk reduction and asset allocation, particularly during downturns. They are designed to represent the performance characteristics of minimum variance — or managed volatility — equity strategies, prioritizing volatility management over gains.
Target benefitsMeasure volatility in dynamic markets
Designed to support managed volatility strategies across geographies, sectors and market-cap sizes.
Indexes seek to prioritize lowest absolute risk as opposed to highest possible return.
Constructed to support investors seeking to achieve target factor levels without increasing risk of unintended exposures.
How we build our indexes
To calculate a Minimum Volatility Index, we produce an index with the least volatility for a given set of constraints which aim to ensure index replicability and investability.
Our indexes aim to reflect the performance of a minimum volatility strategy across geographies and markets, including the U.S., Japan, Europe and emerging markets, as well as for small-cap equities for the U.S.
We also offer a subset of indexes for investors seeking to hedge the currency exposures of a parent minimum volatility index to the USD.
Explore Minimum Volatility IndexesView performance details, fact sheets and more
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The Index Data is for informational, non-commercial purposes only, and the user of the information contained in the Index Data assumes the entire risk of any use made of the Index Data. You understand and agree that the Index Data is provided "as is" and MSCI does not warrant the accuracy, completeness, non-infringement, originality, timeliness or any other characteristic of the Index Data.
The Index Data is not an offer or recommendation to buy or sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any security or instrument or to participate in any particular trading strategy. Further, none of the Index Data is intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation to make (or refrain from making) any kind of investment decision and may not be relied on as such. Historical data and analysis should not be taken as an indication or guarantee of any future performance, analysis, forecast or prediction. Reproduction, redistribution or any other form of copying or transmission of the Index Data without MSCI's prior written consent is strictly prohibited. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Index Data and other MSCI intellectual property you access via the MSCI web site may not, without MSCI's prior written permission, be used as a basis for any financial instruments or products (including, without limitation, passively managed funds and index-linked derivative securities) or other products or services, or used to verify or correct data in any other compilation of data or index, or used to create any other data or index (custom or otherwise), or used to create any derivative works, or used for any other commercial purposes.
For further details,
Minimum Volatility index resources
MSCI Minimum Volatility Indexes methodology
Dive deeper into our thinking behind our Minimum Volatility Indexes.
Factor focus: volatility
Read about the minimum volatility factor and MSCI Minimum Volatility Indexes in our spotlight brochure.
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